Rainbow Family Bookshelf

This list was last updated: May 27, 2023
for updates:  Henry the Fiddler <henry@htfiddler.net>

This is an incomplete list of books about Rainbow, or books written by our Family who have attended Gatherings regularly.  Many are still in print and can be found on Amazon.com in either print or Kindle versions.  For both in-print and out-of-print books you can check your local library website.  If your local branch doesn't have a copy, check with your friendly reference librarian who will usually find a copy available on Inter Library Loan (ILL).  You can also do your own research for hard-to-find books at www.worldcat.org which is a database of books in all libraries nationwide.

Butterfly Bill, R.I.P., maintained his www.bliss-fire.com website for many years and we continue to pay to keep this wonderful Family archive accessible.  You can find his webpage Books about the Rainbow Family at https://bliss-fire.com/RbBooks.htm.  It lists 10 books with cover photos and a few paragraphs about each book.  Since this is an archival page, it hasn't been updated since 2015 when Butterfly Bill passed.  Here's a short list of the 10 books on this page:

People of the Rainbow, Michael Niman (the 2nd ed., 2011 is now available)
Rainbow Gatherings, Butterfly Bill
Somewhere Under the Rainbow, Tom Thumb
Rainbow Gatherings, Volume Two, 2000-2012, Butterfly Bill
Welcome Home, Mary Kohut
Crafting Collectivity, Chelsea Schelly
Judge Dave and the Rainbow People, David Sentelle
Friends Along the Way, Rich in Spirit
Memoirs of a Lawyer and Warrior of the Rainbow, Strider
The Unpolished Man, David Alexander English

The Rainbow Oracle of Mandala City ("The Oracle"), 1972
Since "The Oracle" is now very rare, you can read a pdf version on archive.org here.

Basic Rainbow, Garrick Beck, 1984
World Guide to Nude Beaches and Recreation, Lee Baxandall, 1986
Where Have All The Flower Children Gone?, Rev Barry Adams, 1988
Stomping Grounds, W. Hampton Sides. 1992, see page 64, "Welcome Home, Brother"

Adventures in the Counterculture from Hip Hop to High Times, Steven Hager, 2002
see page 107, "Paradise Now"

Legend of the Rainbow Warriors, Steven McFadden, 2005
Parades Parties and Protests, Sarah Sparkles, 2013

A Husband and Three Lovers, Understanding Israel, 2014
Understanding Israel was a member of the Love Israel Family based in Seattle, Washington and attended the first Gathering in Granby, Colorado in 1972 and others.  Her book contains a chapter on that first Gathering called "Return of the Hippie's Buffalo". It can be found on Lulu here.

Rainbow Caravan Songbook Collection 1, Uri Budgie, 2014
Contains 325 songs collected over 20 years in more than 10 different languages.  It can be found on Lulu using these links: ebook version  paperback version

Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions, 9th ed, J. Gordon Melton, 2016, Rainbow listed
Love At First Bite, Fantuzzi and Kat Dancer, 2017
True Stories, Garrick Beck, 2017
Dirty Kids, Chris Urquhart, 2017

Rainbow Family Life Stories, Jodey Bateman, 2018
Jodey Bateman first came Home in 1975 in Arkansas.  He conducted interviews with ~100 Family folks between 1977 and 2008 which he recorded in spiral notebooks.  During these 32 years, Jodey filled ~1,000 pages with handwritten interviews.  Jodey's Rainbow treasure hasn't been published yet but was scanned in 2018.  You can read these interviews in pdf form on archive.org here.

Falling From The Moon, Karin E Zirk, 2020
The Quiet Zone, Stephen Kurczy, 2021
Visionaries: A Journey To Table Mountain, RR Rowley, 2022

Rainbow, Joth Shakerley, 2022. available at www.jothshakerley.clom.
or Joth's Facebook page, Joth Shakerley - Rainbow Book

Gathering Sounds: Field Recording with the Rainbow Family, Tenali Hrenak, 2023

Rainbow, Phil Coyote, 2001, updated 2023
Phil's excellent book isn't in print yet and needs to be.  You can find it online here.

Here's another list from our brother Finch.  This is a more extensive Rainbow Bibliography with many duplicates of those listed above … :-)

Adams, Barry E. Where Have All the Flower Children Gone? B.E. Adams, 1988.
Adams, Patch. Gesundheit. Healing Arts Press., 1998.
Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon. Penguin Group, 1979.
Bailey, Mark. Rainbow Lullaby. No Shirt Press, 2019.
Bateman, Jodey. Rainbow Family Life Stories. 2018. Unpublished.
Baxandall, Lee. World Guide to Nude Beaches and Recreation. 1986.
Beck, Garrick. Basic Rainbow, 1984.
Beck, Garrick. True Stories: Tales from the Generation of a New World Culture. IUniverse, 2017.
Berger, Adam. The Rainbow Family: an Ethnography of Spiritual Postmodernism. University of St Andrews, 2006.
Bill, Butterfly. Rainbow Gatherings. The Bliss Fire Press, 2010.
Bill, Butterfly. Rainbow Gatherings: Volume Two, 2000-2012. Bliss Fire Press, 2013.
Budgie, Uri. Rainbow Caravan Songbook Collection 1. Lulu, 23 August 2014.
Buenfil, Alberto Ruz. Arcobaleno: Un Popolo Senza Confini. AAM Terra Nuova, 1989.
Buenfil, Alberto Ruz. Hay Tantos Caminos (1996-2002): Testimonio, Comunicados, cro?nicas, Relatos y Reflexiones De Viajes Del Subcoyote. Colofo?n, 2004.
Buenfil, Alberto Ruz. Los Guerreros Del Arcoiris. Hoja, 1992.
Buenfil, Alberto Ruz. Rainbow Nation without Borders: toward an Ecotopian Millennium. Bear, 1991.
Cain, Chelsea. Wild Child: Girlhoods in the Counterculture. Seal Press, 1999.
Cohen, Lisa R. After Etan: the Missing Child Case That Held America Captive. Grand Central Publishing, 2012.
Coyote, Phil. Rainbow. 2001.
Eagle, Rainbow Medicine. For a Rainbow Nation: Part 2 of Letter to My Grandchildren. 21 April, 2021.
Eagle, Rainbow Medicine. For a rainbow Nation: The Declaration of Interdependence and the Covenant Chain. 21 April 2021.
Eagle, Rainbow Medicine. Letter to My Grandchildren. 25 May 2021.
Echols, Ralph Kennedy. Life Without Mercy: Jake Beard, Joseph Paul Franklin and the Rainbow Murders. Kennedy Books. 2014.
Edwards, Kickapoo. Kicking Around With Kickapoo: Stories of the Road. 2017.
English, David Alexander. The Unpolished Man: The Unpolished Manuscript... Autobiography of a Diamond in the Rough... Portrait of the Artist as a Human Being... The Care & Feeding of a Good Idea. 27 March, 2017.
Eisenberg, Emma Copley. The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia. Hatchette Books. 2020.
Fantuzzi, and Kat Dancer. Love At First Bite: Adventures of a 21st Century Troubadour. BookBaby. 2017.
Gilreath-Acosta, Haley. 2018 National Rainbow Gathering: A Photo-documentary. HWG Photography, 2019. 1st Ed.
Gilreath-Acosta, Haley. 2018 Annual Rainbow Gathering: A Photo-documentary. HWG Photography, 2019. 2nd Ed.
Gravy, Wavy. Something Good for a Change: Random Thoughts on Peace thru Living. St. Martin's Press, 1992.
Greenstein, Louis. Mr. Boardwalk: a Novel. New Door Books, 2014.
Hager, Steven. Adventures in the Counterculture from Hip Hop to High Times.
High Times Books, 2002.
Ho, Vivian. Those Who Wander: America’s Lost Street Kids. Little A. 2019.
Horstman, Lee. The Rainbow Anthology. Various Editions.
Hrenak, Tenali. Gathering Sounds: Field Recording with the Rainbow Family, 2023
Israel, Rachel. Counterculture Crossover: Growing Up in the Love Family. Life Story Press. September 10, 2018.
Israel, Understanding. A Husband and Three Lovers. Lulu, 2014.
Johnson, Bryan W. I've Done That. Tate Publishing & Enterprises LLC, 2013.
K., R. Travels with a Road Dog: Hitchhiking along the Roads of the Americas. Createspace, 2012.
Keltz, Iris. Scrapbook of a Taos Hippie: Tribal Tales from the Heart of a Cultural Revolution. Cinco Puntos Press, 2000.
Kohut, Mary. "Welcome Home" A Look into the Rainbow Family of Living Light. Lulu Press, 2011.
Kurczy, Stephen. The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence. Dey Street Books, 3 August, 2021.
Larson, Bob. Larson's Book of World Religions and Alternative Spirituality. Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.
Law, Lisa. Flashing on the Sixties. Chronicle, 1987.
LeWarne, Charles Pierce. The Love Israel Family: Urban Commune, Rural Commune. University of Washington Press, 2009.
Lewis, Eloisa Alena. Culture Bored. 2019.
Linick, Michael D., AKA Strider. Memoirs of a Lawyer and Warrior of the Rainbow. ?CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 29 September, 2012.
Love, Dumpsta. Smile Stories of a Free Therapist. Jeremy Lee Sullivan, 2015.
Love, Matt. The Far Out Story of Vortex I. Nestucca Spit Press. 2004.
Macdonald, Samuel A. The Urban Hermit. St. Martin's Press, 2008.
Machacek, Anastasia Galadriel. Growing Up Hippie. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 11 September, 2012.
MacLeod, Scott. Winding Road Rainbow: Harvin, Wandering & the Poetry of Loving Bliss. Poetry Press at World University and School, 2018.
Manitonquat (Medicine Story).  Return to creation: A Survival Manual for Native and Natural People. Bear Tribe Publishing, 1991.
Manitonquat (Medicine Story). The Joy of Caring for Children in The Circle Way: It Takes a Child to Raise a Village. ?CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 15 April, 2015.
Matchett, William. Most People Aren't Me.
#599 ed., 2015.
McFadden, Steven. Profiles in Wisdom: Native Elders Speak about the Earth. Bear & Co., 1991.
McFadden, Steven S.H.  Ancient Voices;Current Affairs: The Legend of the Rainbow Warriors. Bear & Company, Inc., 1992.
McFadden, Steven. The Legend of the Rainbow Warriors. iUniverse, 13 July 2005.
McGaa, Ed. Rainbow Tribe: Ordinary People Journeying on the Red Road. HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
McKay, Rich "in Spirit". Friends Along the Way - Between Key West & Rainbow Family Gatherings - Adventures of An American Hippie Songwriter. Blurb, 2012.
Melton, J. Gordon. Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions, 9th ed. 2016.
Niman, Mike. “People of the Rainbow: A Nomadic Utopia.” Univ Tennessee Press. 2011.
O'Donnell, Sarah. The Flow Chronicles. Microcosm, 2002.
Parry, Chuck. Free Falling: True Stories of One Man's Leap into the Miraculous. Chuck Parry, 2010.
Paulicivic III, Joseph. Dirty Kids. 2021.
Pim Joa?m Evans., and Leslie E. Sponsel. Nonkilling Societies. Center for Global Nonkilling, 2010.
Porter, Mike Wayward. Occupy My Life: A Modern Wayward Epic. 2020.
Prozanski, Suzi. Fruit of the Sixties: the Founding of the Oregon Country Fair. Coincidental Communications, 2009.
Rainbow Family.of Living Light. The Rainbow Oracle of Mandala City: Table Mountain, Rocky Mountain Nat'l. Park: New Jerusalem. 1972.
Rivard, Joan. Peace Drums: Jesus Was a Hippie, 2020.
Rowley, RR. Toxic Soup: A Novel. 11 April 2022.
Rowley, RR. Visionaries: a Journey to Table Mountain. 7 May, 2022.
Sanctuary. Everyright Publishing, 2014.
Schelly, Chelsea. Crafting Collectivity: American Rainbow Gatherings and Alternate Forms of Community. Routledge, 2015.
Sentelle, David B. Judge Dave and the Rainbow People. Green Bag Press, 2002.
Shakerley, Joth. Rainbow. 2022.
Sides, W. Hampton. Stomping Grounds, 1992
Sparkles, Sarah. Parades, Parties and Protests: Creative Resistance Culture. 218 Press, 2013.
Supreme, Vermin. I Pony: Blueprint For a New America. Bobtimystic Books, 2016.
Swami, Radhanath. Hare Krishna Welcome Home. Krishna Camp, 2005.
Swami, Radhanath. Rainbow Nectar Teachings From the Rainbow Gathering. Palace Publishing, 1991.
Thumb, Tom. Somewhere under the Rainbow: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013.
Urquhart, Chris, and Kitra Cahana. Dirty Kids: Chasing Freedom with America's Nomads. Greystone Books, 2017.
Veiz, Brigitte, and Heiner Keupp. Die Rainbow Family: Individuelle Und Kollektive Identita?tskonstruktionen in Einer Postmodernen Neo-Hippie-Kultur: Ergebnisse Einer Sozialpsychologischen Feldforschung. Psychosozial-Verlag, 2017.
Walker, Peaceful Valley. Slabstories: True Tales from the Heart of Slab City. 2023.
Walker, Dale. Full of the Blood of the Land: Into the heart of Mexico and Central America (Travels as Peaceful Valley Walker), 2023.
Walker, Dale. Birds in the Morning, 2023.
Whaley, Charles. A Modern Hobo Story. Barnes & Noble Press. 9 February 2022.
Willoya, William, and Vinson Brown. Warriors of the Rainbow: Strange and Prophetic Dreams of the Indians. Naturegraph Publishers, 1962.
Wing, Stephen. A Country beyond All Borders: Poems for Trees. Wind Eagle Press, 2011.
Wing, Stephen. As above, so below: Poems for the Water. Wind Eagle Press, 2011.
Wing, Stephen. Crossing the Expressway: Poems from the Open Road. Dolphins & Orchids Pub., 2001.
Wing, Stephen. Four-Wheeler & Two-Legged: Poems. Southeastern FRONT, 1992.
Wing, Stephen. Free Ralph!: an Evolutionary Fable. Wind Eagle Press, 2008.
Wing, Stephen. Proof of the Miraculous: Campfire Poetry from the Rainbow Gatherings. Wind Eagle Press, 2018.
Wing, Stephen. Under Pavement: Poems for a Living Planet. Wind Eagle Press, 2011.
Wood, Gene. SEARCHING FOR DEATH and Finding the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow. 20 April 2021.
Zirk, Karin. Falling From the Moon. Talk Story Publishing, 2020.
Zirk, Karin. Notes from the Road: Poems & Illustrations. Mutant Species Press, 1992.
Zirk, Karin. Using Imaginal Mythology to Enhance Well-Being in Family Caregivers. Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2015.